Sunday, February 27, 2011

Oscar Time: It's On!

I just finished making my picks for this year's Academy Awards pool. *rubbing hands together in anticipation of tonight's event*

One of my husband's former co-workers has been running this pool for several years, and this year she's gotten fancy enough to e-mail PDF ballots to everyone so we can fill them out and return our picks via e-mail. The pool is for bragging rights alone, but I still feel pressure. Even though I'm the only writer in the group, last year I whiffed the WRITING awards. I know. Humiliating!

Despite making bad picks in the screenplay categories in 2010, I ended up second place, and I won it all in 2007. The key is to make well-educated picks in the categories that don't get as much attention, such as live action short film, animated short film, sound editing, and art direction. If you're flailing in your own pool, feel free to copy my picks. I won't tell.

Best Picture: The King's Speech

Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
NOTE: The buzz is that David Fincher will receive it for The Social Network, but I'm going with Hooper.

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
NOTE: Closest thing to a lock there is tonight. If you haven't seen this movie, go.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
NOTE: Melissa Leo is the favorite and will probably win for her work in The Fighter. But I'm picking Steinfeld. Copycats, make a note of it.

Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Film: Incendies, Canada

Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech, by David Seidler
NOTE: Even though I'm a writer and am usually quick to make my picks for the writing categories, this one gave me a lot of angst. Inception could win this. Still, I'm going with The King's Speech.
AND ANOTHER NOTE: If you're a fan of The King's Speech and want some good behind-the-scenes info, ABC News did an interesting story on Seidler and his own stutter. You can read it by clicking here. And writers, if you'd like to see an innovative plot breakdown for the movie, check out one of my favorite writer's websites, Save The Cat. The website also has a great analysis of another Best Picture contender, Winter's Bone.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network, by Aaron Sorkin
NOTE: For purposes of winning your pool, this is one of the safest picks of the night. Sorkin may also give one of the most interesting acceptance speeches of the night (Christian Bale would be his main competition in the "interesting speech" category, if there were one.)

Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Best Costume Design: The King's Speech

Best Original Song: If I Rise, 127 Hours

Best Original Score: The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Best Documentary: Inside Job
NOTE: Most seem to think that Exit Through The Gift Shop will win, with Restrepo another likely winner. If you copy my picks, be warned.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network

Best Cinematography: True Grit

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
NOTE: I think this is another safe bet for Oscar pools

Best Sound Editing: Inception

Best Sound Mixing: Inception

Best Visual Effects: Inception

Best Documentary (Short Subject): Poster Girl

Best Visual Short Film (Animated): Day & Night

Best Short Film (Live Action): Na Wewe

If we don't have guests (which we often do), I usually catch the awards show arrivals from my perch on the elliptical machine. Watching super-fit Giuliana Rancic interview actresses in cut-to-there gowns drives me to work out harder (a peek at George Clooney in his tux doesn't hurt, either.) Then I manage a quickie shower as the last arrivals head into the Kodak Theater before I hit the sofa to watch the main event.

I promise to post my best and worst fashion picks later this week. I predict an incredible showing by Hailee Steinfeld, whom I LOVED in True Grit, and a fun, multicolored gown on Helena Bonham Carter, who wore two different-colored shoes to the Golden Globes. Maybe she'll go for a peacock-type look this time? Whatever it is, it won't be boring. Melissa Leo, host Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams are likely to have great gowns, too. They've made good style choices in the past. The real question (for me) is whether Penelope Cruz will come to support hubby Javier Bardem, who's nominated for Best Actor, and if so, how good she'll look in a gown as a brand new mom. My guess is that she'll look phenomenal. She's perpetually one of picks for best dressed.

What do you think? Who will take home Oscar? And what are your fashion predictions?

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